Local economic impactEpsom Downs Racecourse
A Coast to Capital report for The Jockey Club, released in June 2025, estimated the racecourse’s total economic impact at £63.2 million in 2024. Most of that, £56.2 million, came from commercial activity, with smaller amounts from training grounds, employment and direct taxation. The report stressed that the course supports local business all year, not just on Derby weekend.
How does one event or venue support the firms around it, and how reliable is that income? Practise this in AO2 Application.
Large & small firmsAtkins, Toyota and Nuffield Health
A 2019 Surrey Chambers profile named Atkins as Epsom’s largest employer, with about 2,000 local staff, and noted that Toyota’s UK headquarters sits near Epsom Downs and that Nuffield Health is headquartered in the town. It also described a community of smaller creative firms, such as games developers, architects and recording studios.
What advantages does a large employer have over a small start-up, and what could limit each? Step by step in AO3 Analysis.
Town centre investmentEpsom Square and the town centre
The same 2019 profile described Epsom Square, a private development offering a plaza and indoor space for restaurants, entertainment and health services. It also cited a Business Improvement District representing nearly 400 businesses and a borough fund giving grants for shop front improvements.
Should a town centre rely on new developments, or on supporting the shops already there? A real judgement for AO4 Evaluation.
Epsom’s economy in the classroom
Epsom mixes a world-famous racecourse, big corporate employers and a town centre backed by local business groups. That gives students contexts for local impact, business size and investment decisions. We tie these themes to topics on the specification.
Sources: Jockey Club / Coast to Capital, Epsom Downs Racecourse economic impact (June 2025); Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Focus on Epsom (June 2019); Epsom College Business course information (2025).